Residents demand action

Public order police from Welkom, Bethlehem and Bloemfontein are assisting the Sasolburg police.
Photo: AFP

SASOLBURG - Hundreds of Zamdela residents have taken to the streets to march against Metsimaholo mayor, Brutus Mahlaku.

They are demanding that he steps down.

The residents started their march at 10:00 this morning from the arts centre before arriving at the local police station.

“They have opened a case of corruption against the current mayor of Metsimaholo Municipality and his cabinet,” said Free State police’s Peter Kareli.

“The case will be treated like a normal case and will be investigated. The docket will then be handed over the commercial branch but after we have evaluated if there’s money involved and we have done preliminary investigations and determined whether it should be handed over or the case can be dealt with at the local police station,” he said.

Kareli said the residents arrived at the municipality offices and handed over a memorandum of demands before dispersing.

Police were keeping a close eye on the situation.

“We have public order police from Welkom, Bethlehem and Bloemfontein to assist the Sasolburg police,” said Kareli.

“It has been a peaceful march so far and there have been no incidents,” he said.

Earlier in the year residents went on a rampage in protest against plans to merge their municipality with the Ngwathe municipality.

Days of unrest left four people dead and many others injured.

Metsimaholo municipality spokesman Gino Alberts said a member of the memorandum committee will be accepting it on behalf of the municipality.